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E. R. HERRING.

HORSE D ETAOHER. N0. 287,284. I PatentedOot. 23, 1883.

WITNESSES: 5 I 'INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES Fries.

PATENT ELIJAH R. HEREIN G, OF WESTMINSTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID H. GLENN, OF SAME PLACE.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,284, dated October 23,1883.

Application filed May 23, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH It. HERRING, of Westminster, in the county of Oconee and State of South Carolina, have invented ,certain new and useful Improvements in Horse- Detachers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a plan. View of the single-tree with a portion of the shafts provided with my improved device for detaching the traces. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the device in its position for detaching the traces; and Fig. i 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of one end of the single-tree with its trace-hook and detaching-lever.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of horse detachers in which the ends of the traces are slipped over the ends of hinged levers pivoted upon'the ends of the single-tree;

and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as here inafter more fully described and claimed.

In horse-detachers of this class it is often the case that in slipping off the traces of the ends of the single-tree the eyes of the traces are caught by the ends of the hinged levers, and to avoid this I hinge the levers upon the outermost ends of the flat-headed bolts upon the ends of the single-tree, upon which the trace-eyes fit, so that the eyes of the traces are slipped entirely off the said fiat-headed bolts, with no possibility of catching or hanging, as I will proceed to describe more minutely.

In the accompanying drawings, A A are the shafts, and B the whiffletree or singletree, of a buggy or other vehicle provided with my improvement. Inserted into opposite ends of the single-tree are bolts O,having flattenedheads D, of circular shape, in the outer ends of which are pivoted, at E, the heads F of the detaching-levers G, which are of the shape clearly shown in the drawings, said heads Fbeing of a pear shape, while the levers G are bent' to form shoulders H,

-so that when the levers are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the said shoulders or bent parts H will permit the free end of the lever to lie fiat up against the back part of its ap propriate endof the single-tree. To the free end of each of the levers G is attached a line, I, the middle part of which should be placed over the dash-board, so as to be within easy reachof the driver. When levers G are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen that the rounded part of the trace' holders 0 D extend beyond the pivoted'heads F of the levers, so as to form a hook-shaped notch, K, into which the traces are inserted by slipping the cockeye over the pivoted end of part F. The traces are prevented from slipping off of the single-tree by loops L, made of rubber or other elastic material, and fast ened at opposite ends of the tree.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the operation of my invention will be readily understood. To detach the traces, either in case of a runaway, or if, for any reason, it is desired to detach the horse instantaneously, all that is necessary to dois to pull upon the line I, which throws levers G into the position shown in full line in Fig. 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. The loops L, being made of elastic material, will give sufficiently to permit the traces to be slipped off of their appropriate ends of the tree; and in order to cause a direct pull upon the free ends of levers G G, the ends of the line I are passed through screweyes M, fastened on the shafts back of the whiffletree.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States The combination of the single-tree having the flat-headed bolts upon its ends, and the elastic loops, the levers having the flat pearshaped heads hinged at their outer ends to the outer ends of the fiat-headed bolts, and bent to form shoulders upon their inner portions, and the line fastened to the inner free ends of'the levers and passing through eyed bolts upon the inner portions of the shafts, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affix'ed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIJAH R. HERRING.

Witnesses:

WV. H. DEA'roN, J OHN SIMPsoN. 

